Stair-covering-fastening means.



K. G. SGHUELE & W. BORNEMAN.

STAIR COVERING FASTENING MEANS. APPLICATION FILED OUT. a, 1913.

Patented June 16,1914.

Qlhzrenzons 4W (1am o wz 83/15- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE- KARL C. SCHUELE, OF LAKEWOOD, AND WILLIAM BORNEMAN, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 16, 1914.

Application filed October 8, 1913. Serial No. 794,008.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, KARL C. SGHUELE, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Lakewood, in the county of Cuyahoga, State of Ohio, and WILLIAM .BORNE- MAN, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga, State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Stair-Covering-Fastening Means; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in means for fastening stair-coverings.

The primary object of this invention is to provide fastening means of the character indicated whereby an accurate laying of a stair-covering is facilitated and said covering when laid is held in place without necessitating the use of nails, tacks or similar securing devices.

Another object is to provide a stair-covering-fastening means which is simple and durable in construction and readily applied.

With these objects in view, and to the end of attaining any other advantages hereinafter appearing, this invention consists in certain features of construction, and combinations and relative arrangement of parts, hereinafter described, pointed out in the claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In said drawings, Figure 1 is a front view of a portion of a stair-case, and a portion of a stair-covering laid on said stair-case and fastened in place by means embodying our invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical section online 2-2, Fig. 1, looking inwardly. Fig. 3 is a vertical section on line 3-3, Fig. 1, looking inwardly. Fig. A is a horizontal section on line l-4l, Fig. 1, looking downwardly, except that in Fig. 4, the teeth of the oscillatorily supported sleeves are shown engaging the stair-covering over a tread of the staircase, whereas in Fig. 1 said teeth are shown engaging said covering at the face of the riser extending upwardly from said tread. Fig. 5 is a section on line 55, Fig. 4, looking inwardly. Fig. 6 is a view in perspective of one of the toothed sleeves of our improved stair-coveringfastening means. Fig. 7 is a view in perspective of one of the bracket-forming screw-eyes of said means.

Portions are broken away in Figs. 1 and 2 tending at the face of the riser B upwardly from said tread.

'Our improved fastening means is illustrated'as comprising a rod D which is circular in cross-section and arranged at the face of the covering 0 and substantially horizontally and longitudinally of the tread A'adjacent thecorner formed between said tread and the riser B. Said rod extends beyond the side edges of the covering C a suitable distance and consequently has a length measuring more than the width of said covering. Said rod is loosely embraced between each extremity thereof and the adjacent side edge of the covering C by the I-shaped head 6 of a screw-eye whose screwthreaded shank E is screwed into and ex tends diagonally of the tread A at thecorner formed between said tread and the riser B. It will be observed therefore that the fastening means illustrated comprise two screweyes which are farther apart longitudinally of the rod D than the side edges of the covering C, and thatthe heads of said screweyes form brackets which support said rod.

On the rod D, adjacent the inner side of the bracket formed by the head 6 of each screw-eye, is rotatably mounted the tubular body or member G of a sleeve which is shiftable endwise of said rod. It will be observed therefore that two sleeves are rotatably mounted on said rod between the'brackets e, and that each sleeve is arranged in proximity to the adjacent bracket. The body G of each sleeve is provided with teeth 9 which have their inner endportions ar ranged substantially tangentially relative to said body, as shown in Fig. 6, and project into the covering C, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, land 5, or have been withdrawn from said covering, according as thesleeve comprising said teeth has been rocked the extent required in the one or the other direction. The outer end-portions of the teeth 9 of each sleeve project not only circumferentially of the body G of thesleeve in the direction in which said sleeve is rocked in bringing said teeth into their covering-entering position, but said teeth also project somewhat endwise of said body in the direction of the outer end of said sleeve so as to project into the covering C in the direction of the adjacent side edge of said covering to more effectively engage said covering and prevent displacement of said covering widthwise of the stair case. In Figs. 1, 2 and 3 the sleeves of our improved fastening means are arranged with their teeth projecting into the covering C, and it is obvious that the rocking of said sleeves in the direction indicated by the arrow a: in Fig. 3 withdraws said teeth from said covering.

The body G of each sleeve is provided with an arm 10 which projects beyond the outer end of said body and in the direction of the adjacent extremity of the rod D and beyond the outer side of the adjacent bracket 0, and said arm terminates at said side of said bracket in a forwardly projecting handleforming member 12 for convenience in rocking said sleeve. Said arm, adjacent the inner end of its handle-forming member 12, has a portion 13 thereof overlapping or extending opposite the outer side of the adjacent bracket 6 and cooperating with said bracket in preventing movement of the sleeve endwise of the rod in the direction of the other sleeve on the rod so that said sleeves are not displaced toward each other.

Each bracket 6 is provided, at its outer side, with two shoulders 15 which are spaced circumferentially of the rod D and face in opposite directions respectively circumferentially of the rod. One of the shoulders 15 of each bracket is arranged above the rod D and substantially centrally between the rear and forward sides of the rod and faces rearwardly, whereas the other shoulder 15 of said bracket is arranged forward of said rod and substantially centrally between the top and bottom of the rod and faces downwardly. Figs. 1, 2 and 3 show the sleeves D in the position required for laying the covering G upwardly from the bottom of the staircase, and consequently said sleeves in said position have their teeth arranged at the top of the sleeves and projecting rearwardly and somewhat upwardly into the covering C at the face of the riser B, and the portion 13 of the arm of each sleeve, when the sleeves are in the position shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, overlaps or extends opposite the rearwardly facing upper shoulder 15 of the adjacent bracket 6, and obviously said portion of said arm and said shoulder cooperate in forming means for preventing said arm, and consequently said sleeve, from rocking in the direction required to withdraw the teeth of the sleeve from the cover ing C without interfering with the outwardly endwise shiftability of the sleeve,

but by taking hold of the handle-forming member of said arm and thereupon shifting said sleeve outwardly endwise of the rod far enough to withdraw said portion of said arm from behind said shoulder said sleeve is rendered free to be rocked in the direction indicated by the arrow a; in Fig. 3 so as to withdraw the teeth from said covering, and of course the body G of said sleeve, when said portion of said arm is arranged opposite said shoulder on the adjacent bracket 6, is spaced far enough from saidbracket. as shown in Fig. 1, to permit shifting of the sleeve outwardly endwise the distance required to withdraw said portion of said arm from behind said shoulder, and the covering C may be suitably stretched widthwise to facilitate said endwise shifting of said sleeve. In laying the stair-covering C it. is not. necessary to manually shift the sleeves toward each other in order to bring the portions 13 of the arms 10 of said sleeves opposite the adjacent shoulders 15 of the brackets c upon having rocked said sleeves in the direction required to cause the teeth of the sleeves to enter said covering preparatory to shifting the sleeves endwise toward each other, but the stretching of said covering lengthwise in laying said covering as required reduces the width of said covering enough to effect a simultaneous shifting of said sleeves toward each other the extent required to bring said portions of said arms of the sleeves in position opposite said shoulders. The sleeves illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 are interchanged and arranged as shown in Figs. 1 and 5 for laying the covering C on a. stair-case downwardly from the top of the stair-case, and it will be observed that in the application of the sleeves to the rod D as shown in Figs. 4 and 5 the teeth of the sleeves are arranged at the forward sides of the sleeves and project forwardly and downwardly into said covering over the tread A, and that the portions 13 of the arms 10 of the sleeves overlap or extend opposite the downwardly facing shoulders 15 of the brackets e and co operate with said shoulders in preventing oscillation of the sleeves in the direction indicated by the arrow 1 in Fig. 5. It will be observed also that the provision of each bracket 6 with two shoulders 15 arranged as hereinbefore described renders the bracket-forming screw-eyes interchangeable.

By the construction hereinbefore described it will be observed that the toothed members of our improved fastening means for a staircovering are pivo-tally supported from the brackets e and are shiftable endwise of the rod D independently of each other; that the said toothed members and the brackets c are provided with means for preventing rocking of said toothed members in the direction required to withdraw the teeth of said toothed members from the stair-covering;

that said toothed members, while preventedfrom rocking in the last-mentioned direction, are movable outwardly endwise of the rod far enough to render said toothed members free to be rocked in said last-mentioned direction, and that our improved fastening means is not only inexpensive and eflicient but is readily applied and permits fitting of the stair-covering to the corner formed between each tread of the stair-case and the riser extending upwardly from said tread.

lVhat we claim is 1. In fastening means for a stair-covering, two pivotally supported spaced members adapted to be applied at the face and spaced widthwise of said covering with their axes arranged transversely of the covering, said pivotally supported members having teeth arranged to enter said covering during the rocking of said pivotally supported members in the direction and to the extent required, which teeth have their inner end portions arranged substantially tangentially relative to the bodies of said pivotally supported members and have their outer end portions arranged to project toward the adjacent side edge of said covering.

2. In fastening means for a stair-covering, a pivotally supported member adapted to be applied at the face of said covering and having a tooth arranged to enter said covering during the rocking of said pivotally supported member in the direction and to the extent required, and means whereby said toothed member, when in position with said tooth projecting into said covering, is prevented from rocking in the direction required to withdraw said tooth from said covering, said toothed member in said position being shiftable in the direction and to the extent required to render it free to be rocked in the direction required to withdraw said tooth from said covering.

3. In fastening means for a stair-covering, two pivotally supported members adapted to be applied at the face and spaced widthwise of said covering with their axes arranged transversely of said covering, said pivotally supported members having teeth arranged to enter said covering during the rocking of said pivotally supported members in the direction and to the extent required, and means whereby said toothed members, when in position with their teeth projecting into said covering, are prevented from rocking in the direction required to withdraw said teeth from said covering, said toothed members in said position being movable far enough from each other to render them free to be rocked in the direction required to withdraw said teeth fro-m said covering.

4. In fastening means for astair-covering, two pivotally supported members adapted who applied at the face and spaced widthwise 'of said covering with their axes arranged transversely of said covering, said members being movable from and toward each other and provided with teeth arranged to enter said covering during the rocking of said members in the direction and to the extent required, and means whereby said toothed members, when in position with their teeth projecting into said covering, are prevented from rocking in the direction required to withdraw said teeth from said covering, and means for limiting the movement of said toothed members toward each other, said toothed members in the aforesaid position being movable far enough from each other to render them free to be rocked in the direction required to withdraw said teeth from said covering.

5. In fastening means for a stair-covering, a suitably supported rotatable sleeve adapted to be applied at the faceof said covering and having a tooth arranged to enter said covering during the rocking of the sleeve in the direction and to the extent required, and means whereby said sleeve, when in position with said tooth projecting into said covering, is prevented from rocking in the direction required to withdraw said tooth from said covering, said sleeve in said position being shiftable endwise to render it free to be rocked in the direction required to withdraw said tooth from said covering.

6. I11 fastening means for a stair-covering, two suitably supported rotatable endwise movable sleeves adapted to be applied at the face and spaced Widthwise of said covering with their axes arranged transversely of said covering, which sleeves have teeth arranged to enter said covering during the rocking of the sleeves in the direction and to the extent required, and means whereby said sleeves, when in position with their teeth projecting into said covering, are prevented from rocking in the opposite direction.

7. In fastening means for a stair-covering, a bracket adapted to be secured to a staircase; a member pivotally connected to said bracket and adapted to extend in front of said covering and having a tooth arranged to enter said covering during the rocking of said pivotally supported member in the direction and to the extent required, the aforesaid bracket being provided with a shoulder which faces in the direction in which said toothed member is rocked to cause said tooth to enter said covering, and said toothed member having an arm which has a portion thereof arranged to cooperate with said shoulder in preventing rocking of said toothed member in the direction required to withdraw said tooth from said covermg.

8. In fastening means for a stair-covering, a bracket adapted to be secured to a staircase, and a member pivotally connected to said bracket and adapted to extend in front of said covering and having a tooth arranged to enter said covering during the rocking of said pivotally supported member in the direction and to the extent required, the aforesaid bracket being provided with a shoulder which faces in the direction in -wh1ch sald toothed member is rocked to cause sald tooth to enter said covering, said toothed member having an arm which has a portion thereof arranged to cooperate with said shoulder in preventing rocking of said toothed member in the direction required to withdraw said tooth from said covering,

and said toothed member While prevented from rocking in said last-mentioned direction being free to move in the direction required to free said arm from said shoulder.

9. In fastening means fora stair-covering, two brackets adapted to be spaced 'widthwise of and secured to a stair-case,

and members pivotally supported from said brackets and adapted to extend in front of said covering with their axes arranged transversely of said covering, which pivotally supportedmembers have teeth arranged to enter said covering during the rocking of said pivotally supported members in the direction and to the extent required, said toothedmembers being movable from and toward each other, each bracket being provided at its outer side with a shoulder which faces in the direction in which the adjacent toothed member is rocked to Withdraw it from said covering, and said toothed member having an arm which has a portion thereof arranged to cooperate wvith said shoulder in preventing rocking of the sleeve in the last-mentioned direction.

10. In fastening means for a stair-covering, two brackets adapted to be spaced widthwise of and secured to a stair-case, and members pivotally supported from said brackets and adapted to extend in front of said covering with their axes arranged transversely of said covering, which pivotally supported members have teeth arranged to enter said covering during the rocking of said pivotally supported members in the direction and to the extent required, said toothed members being movable fro-m and toward each other, each bracket being provided with a shoulder which faces in the direction in which the adjacent toothed member is rocked to withdraw it from said covering, and said toothed member having an arm which has a portion thereof extending opposite the outer side of the adjacent bracket and arranged to cooperate with said shoulder in preventing rocking of the sleeve in the last-mentioned direction.

11. In fastening means for a stair-covering, a bracket adapted to be secured to a stair-case adjacent a side edge of said covering, and a member pivotally connected to said bracket and adapted to extend in front of said covering and having a tooth arranged to enter said covering during the rocking of said pivotally supported member in the direction and to the extent required, the aforesaid bracket being provided with a shoulder which faces in the direction in which said toothed member is rocked to cause said tooth to enter said covering, said toothed member having an arm which terminates in a forwardly projecting handlefo-rming member, and said arm having a portion thereof arranged to cooperate with the aforesaid shoulder in preventing rocking of said toothed member in the direction required to withdraw the said tooth from said covering.

12. In fasteningmeans for a stair-covering, the combination, with a rod adapted to be arranged at the face of and transversely of said covering, and two brackets loosely embracing and spaced longitudinally of said rod and adapted to be secured to a stair-case, of two spaced sleeves rotatably mounted on said rod between the brackets and shiftable endwise independently of each other, which sleeves have teeth arranged to enter the aforesaid covering during the rocking of the sleeves in the direction and to the extent required, the brackets and the sleeves being provided with means for preventing rocking of the sleeves in the direction required to withdraw said teeth from said covering, and said sleeves while prevented from rocking in the last-mentioned direction being movable endwise of the rod to thereby render the sleeves free to be rocked in said last-men tioned direction.

13. In fastening means for a stair-covering, the combination, with a rod adapted to be arranged at the face of and transversely of said covering, and two brackets loosely embracing said rod and adapted to be socured to a stair-case, of two endwise shiftable sleeves rotatably mounted on said rod between the brackets and each arranged in proximity to the adjacent bracket, which sleeves have teeth arranged to enter the aforesaid covering during the rocking of the sleeves in the direction and to the extent required, the brackets being provided with shoulders which face in the direction in which the sleeves are rocked to cause said teeth to enter said covering, and said sleeves having arms which have portions thereof arranged to cooperate with said shoulders in preventing rocking of the sleeves in the direction required to withdraw said teeth from said covering.

14. In fastening means for a stair-covering, the combination, with a rod adapted to be arranged at the face of and transversely of said covering, and two brackets loosely embracing said rod and adapted to be secured to a stair-case, of two endwise shiftable sleeves comprising each a tubular body which is rotatably mounted on said rod between the brackets, which sleeves have teeth arranged to enter the aforesaid covering during the rocking of the sleeves in the di rection and to the extent required, the brackets being provided at their outer sides with shoulders which face in the direction in which the sleeves are rocked to cause said teeth to enter said covering, the body of each sleeve having an arm which has a portion thereof extending opposite the outer side of the adjacent bracket and arranged to co operate with the shoulder of said bracket in preventing rocking of the sleeve in the direction required to withdraw said sleeve from said covering, and said sleeve while prevented from rocking in the last-mentioned direction being movable outwardly endwise far enough to free its arm from said shoulder.

In testimony whereof, we sign the foregoing specification, in the presence of two witnesses.

KARL C. SOHUELE. WILLIAM BORNEMAN. Witnesses:

B. G. BROWN, VICTOR C. LYNCH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

